The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
Typically, in many forms of codified systems of combat, such as martial arts, the skill of striking an object with hands or feet is practiced. By practicing the striking of hard objects, the muscles, tendons and bones of the hands, arms, feet and legs can be conditioned and strengthened. In this manner, a martial artist can strike objects much harder than flesh and bones without becoming injured.
Generally, martial arts training devices are used, among other things, to help people develop a wide variety of striking skills. For example, coil bags or punching bags are used to help people develop punching and kicking skills. Such bags may be useful for developing technique, however, they are typically large and thus do not facilitate the development of striking accuracy. Target bags, or smaller punching bags, may be used to help people develop the accuracy of their punches and kicks. Such punching bags and target bags typically rest on the floor at a fixed height or are suspended from above at a fixed height. Often, trainees are forced to buy multiple punching bags and target bags to practice various techniques and hone accuracy. For example, one punching bag might be used for kicking and another for punching, or multiple target bags might be used to practice kicking at different heights. The requirement for additional devices is undesirable. Further, such fixed devices are undesirable because they are static; not allowing the trainee to deviate from the positioning of the fixed targets.
One example is a traditional device referred to as the wooden dummy being comprised of wooden slats that pass through a larger vertically oriented cylindrical section of wood which simulate a torso with arm and leg appendages. However the wooden striking surfaces are rigid and do not allow the practitioner to safely strike with greater forces. The appendages are set at a fixed height and thereby greatly limiting the vertical range of interaction.
There is a great variety of objects that are used to train the striking skills of a martial artist. Such objects include, punching bags, kicking bags, sand bags and the like. However, one of the most widely used and popular striking targets is the wooden board. A wooden striking board is traditionally a one-foot square board of pine. The pine is typically about 1″ thick. Such boards are used because they are relatively inexpensive and only break if they receive a forceful, well aimed blow. Thus, by practicing striking wooden boards, a martial artist not only conditions their body, the martial artist also learns accuracy and how to focus a blow.
Typically, the hanging heavy punching bag is one of the earliest forms of punching bag training devices. Hanging heavy bags suffer from several disadvantages, including the limitations presented by the requirement that such a bag must be hung from a ceiling or a space consuming stand. The installation is permanent, which requires a space within a home, gym, or garage dedicated exclusively for heavy bag training.
Furthermore, some coded combat or martial art styles do not focus on power moves, but rather flow and precision accuracy. Free standing training bags were developed as an effective alternative to hanging heavy bags that require physically mounting the hanging bags to structural elements. Free standing punching bags are typically mounted to a heavy base which rests on the ground surface and therefore do not require ceiling installation. Free standing punching bags are typically built upon a large weighted base filled with water or sand, which may weigh in excess of 275 pounds in order to keep the bag upright during use.
It is known in the art that disadvantages of the current free standing bag structures include, heavy weight making it difficult to transport or store away the weighted base sometimes crushes the foot of a striker when struck hard. Many free standing bags consist of hard material that when accidentally struck, cause injury to the student. The problem that this soft, flexible target system solves starts with unsafe training. Students/players/trainees/practitioners oftentimes train heavy or hard before proper technique is developed resulting in joint, bone, muscle, ligament, toe, finger, finger nail, toe nails, or other injuries.
Furthermore, students sometimes kick wrong resulting in injuries to themselves or to the target holders. Oftentimes they do not learn proper angles, hip positions, etc. before going for power. Instructors do not have “enough arms” to hold targets and guide students in the right positions while kicking, blocking, or striking hand held targets. Most Instructors do not have enough if any assistants/helpers knowledgeable in all areas to assist properly in training while keeping the class moving speedily.
It is also known that most targets, shields, and other kicking or striking material is made for heavy, hard, powerful strikes kicks or blocking using motion from others to teach proper technique. Most hand held targets if kicked harder than the holder can hold will fly out of the hand of the holder striking anything in its path most likely causing some form of damage. Most instructors use other students to hold targets slowing down or lessening learning time per student on the mat during class time.
Further, most standing, hanging, or mounted targets, shields, bags, or other striking devices are big, noisy, space consuming, heavy, permanent, hard or solid and cannot easily be put away when not in use, and are meant for indoor use only. Most other devices are not safe for every possible strike including finger strikes. Heavy, hard standing or hanging targets/shields invite power more than precision training.
Other proposals have involved martial arts training devices. The problem with these training devices is that they are not height adjustable and do not allow for pin point accuracy training. Also, they do not employ multiple realistic targets that emulate real life targets. Also, the targets are not padded. Even though the above cited training devices meets some of the needs of the market, a height adjustable combat training assembly and method of operation enables a practitioner to strike with a fist, kick, hurtle over, and reenact combat with a real person through use of a height adjustable series of shafts, target accessories, and elongated barriers that are manipulated into myriad configurations is still desired. It is also desirable to provide a combat training target assembly where one or multiple focus targets may be easily and interchangeably positioned at selected heights from the ground to allow any strike by the user and which permits the training of a beginner or advanced martial arts practitioner in multiple kicking and hand techniques.